#KUFieldWorks: Predicting future algae blooms to preserve safe drinking water
Ted Harris, an assistant research professor with the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, and a team of faculty, student and staff are examining long-term water quality changes in large Kansas lakes, especially changes related to blue-green algae, which can cause harmful algal blooms (HABs). Under certain conditions, cyanobacteria, colloquially known as blue-green algae, can grow rapidly in lakes. When too much of this algae is present, it releases toxins that can harm humans and other animals. Harris led a number of trips this summer throughout the lakes within the Kansas River basin, including lakes Sebelius, Webster, Kanopolis, Milford, Waconda, Tuttle Creek, Perry and Lovewell. Harris and his team use sediment to analyze the historical patterns of HABs, which can render water unsafe for consumption. Understanding when and why these blooms take place can help the state forecast and prevent them in the future.